A new family member and a new tutorial - Yay!

Meet Stumpy Sniff Findley II, Jakes new puppy.

Here he is meeting Hunny and Spike.

He is 5 weeks old and a little ball of fluff.  We have to watch Hunny though because she's still a puppy too.  She gets soooo excited and he does look a lot like one of her chew toys.

Not for long though.  He's a Pembroke Welsh Corgi and will grow up to look like his cousin, Jake's beloved Sniff (seen here with Bully).  We miss them both but Spike and Stumpy are doing a good job of holding up the honored name of Bulldog and Corgi.

This is a block from my Lilly's Hearts quilt.

We did a throw sized quilt and

a Mini (or Wallhanging) size.

And I used the simple heart shape in these patterns to do my tutorial on the Applique Stitch.  To watch it click here.

And if you enjoy it, please subscribe to my channel.

Happy Almost 4th - and my fabric scans came in.  Yay!  To work - to play!

My - oh - my! What a week!

Kelly had a 2nd job this summer - working for a temporary greenhouse that set up in Cameron in the early part of the summer.  She worked hard and she loved it.  

Then - when the major part of the early growing season was over, they broke down until next year.  And the employees could take home any plants that hadn't sold.

Apparently, you don't only get attached to animals in this family.  I told her that we'd make room for as many plants as we could.  These pictures are just the tip of the iceberg.

It took us 2 days to get beds ready and everything planted.  Hunny did a very good job of overseeing.

And, of course, since we were already on overload, this year's baby chickens came.  The brooder house had to be cleaned and stocked.  Hunny did not get to help with this.

And in the midst of planting in the garden and taking care of baby chickens, I had blocks to get ready for the tutorials we've been filming on the Basics of Needleturn Applique.  There will be a little tutorial on each of the aspects.  I use a specific pattern or quilt to illustrate but the techniques apply to any pattern.  So far we've done Freezer Paper Applique, the Basic Applique Stitch and this one on Outside Points.  I kind of wonder what I was saying here.

Jake and Misty Doan are doing the filming and editing and they are absolute jewels to work with.  I must say that having to stay that focused, making sure I've included everything, yada, yada - is totally stressful - good stress to be sure, but stress.  I woke up at 4:00 am the morning we were doing the Freezer Paper one and realized I hadn't included reverse patterns.  A mad scramble ensued but I had things ready by the time they got here :)

Jake said that the first one in this series should be done in a week or so.  I'll be sure and blog about it and post on Facebook when it's ready.  I do really enjoy doing them and hope you all find them helpful.  Shops, do feel free to use them to help teach if you want to.  

We had a light rain this morning - the garden loved it.  

Pep and Jake got the netting over the baby chicken yard this morning so we can let the babies out of their house when they're ready.  (I saw the hawk circling on my walk 2 nights ago.)

Things are settling down into my routine again.
Pep's off tonight so he's puttering in the kitchen cooking dinner.

So I'm taking Hunny and we're going for our walk - Spike's leg is healing but he's not ready for that yet.

Then puppies get their treats and I get to sit and stitch.
Life is good.

Snow Day & Zoie's 13th

This is Snow Day, the other Crossroads BOM.  The first time I used 3 kids on a toboggan they were Kelly, Max and Brian.  That was a year or two ago in one of my first quilts Snowbound.  This time the kids in the toboggan are Aiden, Quinn & Cullen, Max's 3 sons.  The children in the bottom block are Brooke (with the lellow hat because lellow is her favorite color, she's 2) and Gabriel and Lilly.  They're 3 of Brian's 4 kids.

Children playing in the snow are a recurring theme in my quilts because they are so very awesome.  

Jake, Brian Jr & Zoie are teenagers and much harder to depict but they're pretty awesome too.

The quilt size is 70" x 68".  We have also gotten emails and phone calls asking us to kit it as well as Eagles & Roses.  So we're taking preorders for this kit now also.  I need the preorders to know how much fabric to order and again I have very little time before orders for Crossroads close  So if you want a kit from me, you need to order it now.  It will ship in late August or early September and will cost $215.00.  You need to email Tori at janpatekquilts@yahoo.com (Be sure to ask for a return email to make sure we got it) or call 816-632-7632.  We do take layaway orders.  I'm pretty sure there will be a tutorial on it, God willing and the creek don't rise.  

And speaking of Zoie - she had her 13th birthday on June 3.

Zoie loves pie.

She has always wanted a "pie in the face" birthday party.  So this year her mother bought all the ingredients, graham cracker shells, pudding packs and whipped cream.  And Zoie, Ashley and Cheyenne came to the farm.

This really was her idea and something she always wanted.  

To each her own. :)

She really did seem to enjoy it.

And I know Hunny and Spike did.

At least there wasn't just the pies.  Pep grilled chicken and made slaw and a yummy birthday pie for all of us.

I must say, the quilts I was stitching on stayed inside.

Eagles & Roses

This is Eagles and Roses. 

It is made out of Crossroads, my new fabric line.  Have I mentioned more than a lot of times that Eagles have a special place in my life and my heart.  

And when I got the strike offs for Crossroads all of the greens and reds just yelled to be made into this quilt.  

The quilt size is 98" x 98".  We have gotten emails and phone calls already asking us to kit it.  We're taking preorders for the kit now.  I need the preorders to know how much fabric to order and I don't have much time before orders for Crossroads close  So if you want a kit, you need to order it now.  It will ship in late August or early September and will cost $275.00.  You need to email Tori at janpatekquilts@yahoo.com (Be sure to ask for a return email to make sure we got it) or call 816-632-7632.  We do take layaway orders.  I'm pretty sure there will be a tutorial on it, God willing and the creek don't rise.  

And I know the roses in my garden are yellow.  I prefer yellow or peach/pink in the garden and red in my quilts.

Oh, and please suscribe to my YouTube channel.  You can do that by clicking here.

Happy quilting ladies.

Everything's in place - I hope.  (I'm still very new at this but I had great help.)

We also hope you enjoy this tutorial on Natalie's Quilt.  To see it click here

AHAAA!!!! Email problem figured out at long last! - We Hope!

Before I go to the pictures, lets talk about email.  

Over  the last couple of years we have had lots and lots of people tell us that they had emailed us with no response.  We were completely mystified.  We check the email every day - usually twice a day and always answer any emails.

The other day Tori had to call Yahoo about something.  While talking to them she mentioned our problem.  When the gentleman investigated it seems that we had 9800 emails in our folder - going way back to when Tara was working here.  When it gets that full it just won't accept any more until some are deleted.  Tori had been in the habit of keeping most of the emails so she could refer back to them if needed.

Not any more.

All 9800 were deleted.

You should be able to get us on Yahoo if you have a question.  

Good heavens!  And that's just the first part.

Before I go to the 2nd part, we'll stop at Market.  

Here I am in my booth with Michelle and her friend Carrie.  Michelle was a real lifesaver.  She picked me up at the airport and ran me around Portland, leant me her umbrella and is taller than I am.  (See how tall you need to be to hang the quilt behind us.)

Many, many thanks to her.  I tried to talk her into moving to Pittsburg before the next Spring Market but couldn't do it.  :)

Since everyone had gotten me flying already (and I still really, really don't like it) I flew down to San Francisco to see my Uncle Fred and Aunt Grace who live in Los Gatos, Ca.  My sister Nancy flew out and met us.

And of course, we had to go see the Golden Gate Bridge.  It really is awesome!

The next day we piled into the car and went up to Pacific Grove and Carmel to stay at a Bed and Breakfast and go to the beach.  And plain old generally sightsee.

Uncle Fred and Aunt Grace are in their 80s and pretty well ran Nancy and I ragged.  

Wow!  We shopped, sightsaw (is that a word?) and ate our way across Northern California.  

Well really, Aunt Grace and Nancy shopped.  Uncle Fred waited in the car and did crosswords and I mostly took catnaps after Market.  

We all helped with the eating though.  

After 4 days we got on another plane and came home.

Before I left for Portland I broke down and got a smartphone. My friend Cherie Ralston went with me. Unlike me, Cherie has an excellent left brain so she helped me pick out my phone.  

While waiting in the airport at Denver I started playing with my new phone. 

Guess what I found?

  

Gmail!  

I didn't even know I still had a Gmail account.  Neither did Tori.  And I still am not sure how to get to it other than on my phone.  

So --- people were emailing us on Yahoo and a lot weren't coming through and people were emailing us on Gmail and I had no idea they were.

I'm rather surprised I still have any customers.  Hopefully we have both problems solved.  Until I can figure out how to get to gmail on the computer, I do have my phone.  I tried forwarding one to Tori though and it didn't get through.  Have I mentioned more that lots of times that I am really a very right brain person.  

At least I can design quilts.

Back at home Spike was supposed to be confined to a room or his kennel for 6 weeks.  And no stairs.  Just before I left we found him on the couch when our back was turned.  And a large bump at the top of his leg.  Pep and I were both sure that he had torn everything loose but there wasn't time to take him to the vet in KC again.

As soon as I got home I took him for an x-ray and everything was fine - still pinned, still plated - just a little swollen and sore.

 Here he is on the deck contemplating getting over the baricade to the steps.

He's a bulldog - so what if it hurts a little.    But Mom ..... it's not a step!

We took out the baricade and set up a fence so he could sit on the deck in the sun.  He loves to sit in the sun.

Back to Quilts - yes, I like doing quilts better than computers and stuff.  This is Natalie's Quilt.  Be watching for a new tutorial on Natalie's Quilt - baskets and flowers - coming soon to this very blog.  :)

We're really excited!

Market & More........

Well, here we are in sunny Portland.  Well ......... we're in Portland.  And luckily my hotel is very close to the convention center and my new very best friend Michelle leant me her umbrella.

Portland is a 3 day drive from home, then 5 days for set up and Market - then 3 days back home.  Pep couldn't take that much time off and I decided not to do the drive by myself again so he could fly in to meet me. And I can't set up a booth by myself.  

Moda - being the awesome company that they are had already come up with a solution to my problem. The is part of Designer's row.  My section - Deb Strain - Kathy Schmidt.

But I need to back up a little......... 

A few days before I needed to leave, Spike - who never goes down to the road by himself (we live about 300 feet back from the road) - decided to go bite a car.  He lost.

Our local vet looked at the break in his short, stout leg and said it was beyond him.  We made an emergency trip to Kansas City where Spike had a 4 hour surgery.  They had to come in from both sides of his leg to pin and plate it back together.  He was in intensive care all night and we picked him up the next day.

He is supposed to walk on it as little as possible for six weeks.  This is his convalescent center in the living room.  I set up a place to feed him there too because standing on the linoleum in the kitchen his leg would slide out and put pressure on it.  If I'm sitting in my chair sewing he comes out and is at my feet.  Otherwise he has to stay in his kennel so he doesn't follow me everywhere like he usually does.

The main problem is that he's a bulldog and they generally just ignore pain so we have to keep him from using it.  I took my sewing out on the deck so he could lay in the sun.

So it turned out to be good that Pep couldn't come.  He's at home taking very good care of our bulldog.  Spike was really upset when he saw the suitcases come out.  So it's good that Pep is at home with him.

Now - back to Market - where , by the way, I was a basket case the first 2 days - cried if you looked at me sideways.  My special thanks to Michelle who picked me up at the airport (yes, the damn airport) and driven me around everywhere and helped me set things up (I am not tall-she is), Camille, Jamie C. Holly and Josh Dunn and my cohort Deb Strain for all of their patience and hugs.

Anyway, here's my booth - or my section of Designer's Row.

We each have a section - with half a table, half a bulletin board and two shelves.

Then I got an herb rack and Deb got a ladder to hang quilts on

as well as a hook to hang things from.  All in all, it worked out quite well.  It was great to share a space with Deb Strain.  Deb and Sandy Gervais and I are the "vintage" Moda designers - Deb's word - isn't it great!

And I can't stop this post without thanking Tori and Falisha back home who got things packed and out of there for me while I was dealing with Spike.  Did I mention that the same week our plumbing stopped up and  someone sideswiped the van while it was parked and took out the drivers side mirror.  

What a week!  But it's over, Spike's going to be ok and I get to spend my day talking to quilters!  Oh, and the fabric line is Crossroads and will ship in August.  :)